All posts tagged: England

Joseph beheaded in a violent attack on a church’s nativity scene

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The nativity scene at a church in Ipswich, England has been vandalized just four days after it had been set up at the 13th century All Saints Church. The display was torn apart with the life-size figurines scattered around the site. Many of the figurines were damaged and will require a significant amount of repair to make them suitable for display. The model of Joseph had also been decapitated. “Why would someone have so much hatred and desire to ruin and destroy something that is not their property, and something that is there to express someone’s belief?,” The Rev Danny Morrison who serves as the church’s vicar told the Daily Mail. “What state might their life be like if they find pleasure in doing this? I am trying to make sense which I really can’t.” The church has been putting up the Nativity scene for the past five years. It has a message beneath it that reads, “Jesus came to save us all.” Unfortunately, the nativity was also vandalized several times in 2018, the first …

Why are new COVID cases surging in France and Spain?

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Europe is experiencing its second wave of COVID, with France reporting 10,000 new infections a day and Spain hitting 12,000 new cases a day. Several other European countries are also reporting increases as well. The Daily Mail explains: France‘s daily coronavirus cases have topped 10,000 for the first time while Spain’s have rocketed to 12,000.  The countries’ soaring case numbers have led to fears that the UK, which has seen its daily case figures steadily rise since August, could be heading in the same direction.  On Friday, the UK announced 3,539 new daily coronavirus cases – the highest toll in four months. […] And Spain announced a whopping 12,183 cases on Friday, bringing the total to above 566,300 just four months after the country’s low of 132 new cases on May 25.  But fortunately, the number of new deaths is not climbing as fast as the new cases during the second wave. The Daily Mail also explained why: Health bosses said most of the new infections in the UK were young people, many who only had mild or …

Oh, the irony

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You probably don’t know who Neil Ferguson is, but he is the guy that started the “panic-demic” aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in several countries, states and cities implementing stay-at-home orders and lock downs of their respective jurisdictions.

Pray for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

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The British Prime Minister has caught the Coronavirus and is currently in Intensive Care at a British hospital. He is breathing unassisted but still in serious condition. I believe God has a purpose for him at this time (Isaiah 45:1-7; Isaiah 44:28). Pray for US President Donald Trump for the same reason. UPDATE: Boris Johnson is out of the hospital and resting at home. READ: Boris Johnson is given ‘all clear’ from coronavirus as he is spotted walking with Carrie and Dilyn the dog in Chequers garden

London, England Credit: Carlos Torres/Flickr/Creative Commons

Lauren Southern, Right Wing Extremist, Expelled from Britain

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Recently, a young woman from Canada, Lauren Southern, was expelled from Britain, and sent across the channel to Calais France, where she was detained briefly by French authorities. This is an odd story. I’m Canadian, and I can’t think of any time when a Canadian was banned from Britain. My family identifies as Scottish and I would be highly offended if I was expelled from Scotland. “Southern” sounds English to me and she probably feels the sting of being expelled from England. And then there is the picture. Lauren Southern is a pretty young woman with long blonde hair, and the pictures posted with the story look professional. A picture tells a thousand words, and her image argues against the words. She just doesn’t look like a bad person. Also, she was accused of being a racist for criticizing a religion, which is technically impossible. Religion is a choice that we can change any time, and not a race that we are assigned at birth. RELATED: Right-wing journalist Lauren Southern denied entry to UK, purportedly …

Franklin Graham Credit: cornstalker/Wikipedia

Politicians demand Franklin Graham be banned from entering England

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In September 2018, Franklin Graham, 65, the son of famed American evangelist Billy Graham is scheduled to speak at the Lancashire Festival of Hope in Blackpool, England. The event is being sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and a number of local churches. With a population of 150,000, Blackpool is located on the Northwest coast of England. Shortly after the announcement, some left-leaning MPs began petitioning the government to ban Franklin Graham from attending the rally. This included Labour MP Afzal Khan who stated in an interview with The Guardian that Franklin Graham’s “views are not welcome.” He along with a couple other MPs including one Cabinet Minister wrote letters to England’s home secretary Amber Rudd asking her to not issue a visa to Graham preventing him from entering the country. Franklin Graham has publicly opposed Islamic extremism and gay marriage and expressed concerns about immigration. Graham also supported Donald Trump in his campaign for the American presidency and stated that God had a hand in Trump’s victory. Though Graham’s criticisms are considered …

London Bridge tower highlighted Credit: Wikipedia/cmglee

Who do British Jews consider their biggest threats?

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Using YouGov, a survey company, the British organization Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has conducted an annual survey of English attitudes towards Jews since 2015. Perhaps the most disturbing fact to come out of this year’s survey is that over the past two years a third of the Jews living in England had considered leaving due to the growing antisemitism in that country. The survey also found that 25% do not believe Jews have a long-term future in England with a further 21% stating they were uncertain. However, this was still better than what they see going on across the English Channel when 35% said they did not believe Jews have a long-term future in Europe and 24% stating they were unsure. This is certainly paving the way for further Jewish migration to Israel, an event prophesied in the Old Testament centuries earlier: 3 “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture… (Jeremiah 23:3 NASV) Perhaps not surprisingly …

England's Parliament Building Credit: Jim Nix/Flickr/Creative Commons

In the midst of trials and tribulation lies a ‘Great Opportunity’

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Interesting days in England and it probably  indicates what the so-called progressive left eventually wants to see happen in North America. A new law is being debated in England’s House of Commons and if passed, the government’s revised Policing and Crime Bill will see the penalty for a “racially or religiously aggravated offense” increased from its current seven-year imprisonment to 14 years. Since the revised law implies that a person could be thrown in jail for simply offending someone, during the debate UKIP Member of Parliament Lord Pearson asked the following question of the government: “Could such an offense be caused by a Christian preaching the supreme divinity of Christ and thereby denying the supremacy of Muhammad? Would various assembled Muslims be free to regard that as a religiously aggravated offense under this section?” He wanted to know if a person could be thrown in jail for simply stating their belief Jesus is Lord? As an opposition party, UKIP led the charge in England’s decision to leave the European Union. Rather than saying there was …

Fear not, for I am with you.... Credit: Eric Wagner/Flickr/Creative Commons

Don’t ‘fear’ the coming darkness

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An article in the Daily Mail on changes taking place at Canterbury Cathedral in London, England speaks of a significant culture shock coming for western Christians. For years, we have lived in a bubble where we could go through our day not worrying we would be attacked for our faith. But that bubble is bursting or at the very least there is a noticeable leak. Police in England have just announced they will be stationing armed guards at Canterbury Cathedral in England. Built in 597AD, it is one of Britain’s oldest churches.  This is not the church hiring its own security staff, but rather police sending in protection. And in a country where police typically patrol without guns, these guards are armed.  The article added that protection will be given to other unnamed churches and public venus. The police made this decision in response to recent attacks on churches in Europe by Muslim extremists. In July, an 84-year-old Catholic priest in Normandy, France had his throat slit by Islamic extremists in front of his congregation during …

Curious Christian news Photo: Javi Sanchez de la Vina/Flickr/Creative Commons

News round up: Banning the Lord’s prayer, Jenner prayer and Bieber’s bathtub baptism

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Just a brief write-up about a few stories that caught my attention this past week: Lord’s prayer banned in England The Lord’s prayer is a regular part of services in the Church of England. This year, the church produced an ad with each line being prayed by a different person. It starts with the leader of the Anglican Church, The Right Honourable Justin Welby. Welby who is the archbishop of Canterbury is part of the evangelical wing of the Anglican church. Other participants included a police officer, weight lifter, farmer and others. However, when the church approached Digital Cinema Media (DCM) to buy time for the ad to be run in movie theaters, the company refused stating it might cause offense. DCM sells 80% of the advertisements sold on England’s 2,929 movie screens. The controversy over the refusal generated great publicity for the ad now shown on YouTube and as well a strange ally. In an interview in The Guardian, atheist Richard Dawkins said: “I still strongly object to suppressing ads on the grounds that …

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Phillip Photo: Ben Murray/Flickr/Creative Commons

This year’s Christmas message will be Queen Elizabeth’s clearest expression of faith

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For nearly every year since 1932, England’s Royalty has broadcast a Christmas message across Britain on BBC, the government-run TV station. The only year it didn’t happen was in 1969 when BBC instead aired a documentary on England’s royalty This year, Queen Elizabeth, 89, will be making her annual broadcast which according to an article in The Express will be the clearest expression of her Christian faith since she became Queen in 1952. In recent years, the Queen has become increasingly vocal about her faith. The broadcast to be aired on Christmas day is expected to attract millions of viewers. Last year 7.8 million people watched the Queen’s message. The Queen will backdrop her faith declaration with the “unprecedented” rising persecution of Christians around the world particularly by Muslim extremists in the Middle East where ISIS has targeted believers. According to The Express, a source within Buckingham Palace said “she [the Queen] is driven by a deep and spirited faith.” Though to a lesser degree, the Queen has also felt first-hand the threat of Muslim Jihad. In September, the British …

Disabled pensioner Alan Barnes still willing to obey the call of God

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Alan Barnes, 67, is only 4’6″ tall and nearly blind. He was thrust into the limelight this past January when he was brutally attacked by a drug addict looking for money. Barnes was rolling out his garbage bins when it happened. He suffered severe injuries including a broken collar-bone. After the assault, Barnes, who came by his disabilities when his mother caught the German measles while pregnant with Alan, was too scared to leave his home. His story became headline news in the media throughout England. People were outraged by the brutality and senselessness of the attack. When beautician Katie Cutler heard what happened, she organized a fund-raising campaign hoping to raise £500 to help Barnes. However, as news spread the donations started pouring in and in a matter of weeks the total hit £350,155. Barnes was shocked. In interviews, he said ‘thank you’ seemed hardly enough for the outflow of generosity. The money allowed Alan to move out of the disability complex where he lived and buy his own terraced home for £150,000 pounds. …

What in the world is going on in England?

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[by Dean Smith] Rev. Dr. Mike Ovey is principal of London’s Oak Hill Theological College that trains priests for the Anglican church. He is not only a former lawyer, but as well worked for the government during the 1980s helping draft England’s anti-terrorism bill to combat IRA terrorism. In an interview with The Telegraph, Dr. Ovey is sounding alarm bells over Extremism Disruption Orders being added to England’s Counter Extremism Bill. What concerns Dr. Ovey is that these potential changes could effectively criminalize Christian beliefs.

Nearly 40% of women having abortions in England had a previous abortion

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[by Dean Smith] New figures out of England show some disturbing news on abortions. According to the country’s Department of Health in 2014 37% of women in England and Wales who had an abortion had already had at least one earlier abortion. These figures match those found in France and Sweden. In an effort to justify these numbers, abortion activists claim that birth control is not 100% resulting in unwanted pregnancies, however, some suggest that for some women abortion is their form of birth control. Perhaps the biggest lie promoted by the abortion industry is that they involve unwanted pregnancies — inconvenient, maybe, unwanted no. Couples are paying tens of thousands of dollars to adopt children overseas because there are essentially no babies available in their home country. If a woman chose to carry her child to term, there would be couples lined up willing to adopt. So don’t call the child unwanted.

English nursery worker beats back political correctness

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[by Dean Smith] England’s BBC reports a government tribunal has ruled a childcare nursery discriminated against a woman because of her Christian beliefs when it fired her in January 2014. At the heart of the issue was a Christian’s freedom to talk about homosexual issues. Sarah Mbuyi, an evangelical Christian, worked for Newpark Childcare nursery in Watford, England. According to BBC News, Mbuyi was fired three days after she answered a co-worker’s question who wondered what God thought of her lesbian relationship.

Police arrest preacher in England after a lesbian ‘falsely’ accuses him of homophobia

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[by Dean Smith] In September, 2013, while Rob Hughes, 34, was street preaching in Basildon, Essex, England, when a woman approached him. She described herself as “gay and proud,” and immediately confronted Hughes. There was a brief, but heated discussion filled with colorful blue language — none of it expressed by Hughes. After the woman left, she called the police and accused Hughes of making homophobic comments. Hughes works with a Christian group called Operation 513, which specializes in street evangelism. After he finished preaching, his group was handing out tracts, when two police officers approached Hughes and arrested him.

Is your problem a giant or an optical illusion?

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[by Dean Smith] I love castles. One of my bucket list goals is to visit England and explore at least a couple ancient fortresses. However, there is one, Bodiam Castle, that I may take a pass on. Located in Kent, it is a popular castle and because of its huge moat very photogenic. You may have already seen pictures of it. But there is something strange about this castle. It is not all that it seems. Sir Edward Dalyngrigge was given permission to build the castle in 1385. He had been a faithful servant to King Richard II fighting for the English king in the Hundred Years War. It seems back then, like a car, you had to have a license or “crenellate” as it was called then to build a castle. I guess Kings wanted to control who built castles because they could be used for you or against you.

Survey finds world youth most religious and Britain one of the least religious nations

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[by Dean Smith] A recent international survey by WIN/Gallup International (WGI) found that England is now one of the least religious countries in the world where only 30% of respondents said they were religious. WGI asked 64,000 people in 65 nations to rank their religious beliefs according to three statements: “A religious person,” “not a religious person” and ” a convicted atheist.” It did not break down the faith according to beliefs. Britain now joins China where only 7% considered themselves religious, Japan at 13%, Sweden 19%, Holland 26% and the Czech Republic 27% as among the least religious countries in the world.

English judge fines man for citing the wrong chapter in the Bible

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An English judge has penalized Michael Overd $2,100 for citing certain portions of the Bible in public. This included a $300 fine and paying $1,800 in compensation for causing “emotional pain.” Last summer, Overd, a former British paratrooper, was street preaching in Taunton in the county of Somerset, England with a loudspeaker when spoke of Leviticus 20. The chapter speaks of the death penalty for homosexuality (verse 13). Though he referenced the chapter, Overd, who has been a street preacher for five years, claims he never spoke about the death penalty.

What is a massive oak forest doing at the bottom of the North Sea?

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Dawn Watson and Rob Spray were scuba diving about 300 meters off the the coast of Cley Next to the Sea, Norfolk, England when Dawn made an incredible discovery. Cley Next to the Sea is located on Britain’s North coast bordering the North Sea. Dawn found a forest of oak trees at the bottom of the ocean. This included complete, but now fallen trees, some with branches 24 feet long (8 meters). The forest, previously buried in the sand, was probably uncovered by a recent storm in the area. A survey of the forest suggests at one point it may have stretched from England to Europe, covering thousands of acres.

Did the Genesis’ flood separate England from Europe?

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For decades, it was thought a land bridge that once connected Britain to Europe had disappeared through a combination of slow erosion and rising seas. Some believe this separation took place over one million years ago. However, that popular theory was tossed into the trash bin because of a 2006 study that was conducted on how England was populated. As part of the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project (AHOB), researchers scanned the English Channel several kilometers off the coast of Sussex looking for examples of human settlement.

30% of English kids don’t know Christmas is about the birth of Jesus

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A survey of 2,000 families commissioned by the English organization Christmas Starts with Christ found over 30% of the children (aged 10 to 13) did not know Christmas was associated with the birth of Christ and 51% of adults do not believe Jesus is important to Christmas. The organization blamed the political correctness creeping into English schools for much of this lack of awareness. This includes removing mentions of Christ from Christmas so not to offend and no longer displaying nativity scenes or if they do including everything from Elvis to Aliens in the scene.

English government demands Christian school allow Muslim Imam to speak at school

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It amazes me how intolerant secularists become when they speak of tolerance. In June 2014, the English government increased the reach of the UK Office of Standards in Education, Children Services and Skills (Ofsted) enabling it to enforce supposed “British values” in the school system. An article in The Telegraph gave Christians a first-hand look of how this will work.  Ofsted regulators recently visited a small independent Christian school in Home Counties which was described in Ofsted’s report as a “successful Christian school.”

More British Muslims fighing for Islamic extremists than the British Army

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According to Khalid Mahmood, a British MP from Birmingham, England, there are more British Muslims fighting for Islamic State (IS) extremists in the Middle East than there are serving in the British army. The IS — which goes by various acronyms including ISIS (Islamic State in Syria) — is attempting to set up an Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East. The British army says there are 600 Muslims serving in the British army. MP Khalid Mahmood believes over the last three years 1,500 British Muslims have joined the IS in its fight in the Middle East.

Christian baker persecuted in Northern Ireland for not endorsing gay marriage

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A government is persecuting another baker, this time in Northern Ireland, for their family’s Christian beliefs. This is not unusual. Christian bakers are similarly under fire in North America for their refusal to make wedding cakes for gay weddings. However, this persecution has a bit of an unusual twist. The bakery is being persecuted for not endorsing gay marriage. The Ashers Baking Co, with six different locations in Northern Ireland, is owned by the McArthur family.  They have deeply held Christian beliefs and the name of the baking company comes from Genesis 49:20 which reads:

When did “I am offended” become a “hate crime?”

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In late May, a Baptist church in Nuneaton, Norfolk, England was brought before the police because of a sign that read: If you think there is no God you’d better be right!! There were flames underneath the words. When 20-year-old Robert Gladwin walked by Attleborough Baptist Church, he was offended by the message that non-Christians would go to hell, so he called the police.

Is England on the verge of criminalizing parenting?

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If you want to see the future for North American watch what is unfolding in the United Kingdom. There are disturbing things happening in that country and when it happens there, its next stop seems to be North America. The Christian Institute is warning about recent legislation proposed for England redefining child neglect. If passed, it could potentially turn every parent in that country into a criminal. The Institute says the legislation will be introduced in the Queen’s speech on June 4, 2014. In this speech, English governments traditionally present their legislative goals in the upcoming session of parliament. According to a law passed in 1933, child neglect is limited to areas of providing basic care such as food, clothing and medical aid. Failure to do that could result in charges. However, the new legislation is expected to include emotional care in the list of abuses.

Christians feeling persecuted in England, senior Judge says Christian beliefs need to be accommodated

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In England, many Christians believe they are not receiving the same protection under British law as other religious groups. And it is more than just a feeling. As deputy president of England’s Supreme Court, Lady Hale is one of Britain’s most senior judges. In a lecture to Yale Law School in the US this past March, she said England is becoming “less respectful” of Christians compared to other countries. Ironically, this includes some countries with less of a Christian heritage than England. Based on laws in the European Union, England is taking what Hale described as a “hard-line” approach in religious discrimination cases. And in most instances, Christians are on the losing end of the battle. 

Bizarre court case in England involving the Mormon church and accusations of fraudulent teaching

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There is a strange court case unfolding in England involving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly called the Mormon church. Two former Mormons using a rarely used legal maneuver have convinced a British judge to issue a summons for Thomas Monson — President of the Mormon church in Salt Lake City, Utah — to appear before London’s Magistrate Court for a hearing on March 14, 2014. The two men allege the Mormon church committed fraud by convincing them to give money to the organization based on false or fraudulent teaching. In the process, the two allege the organization broke England’s Fraud Act of 2006. That Act prohibits the use of false information to gain financial benefit. One suit alleges the Mormon church collected $257 million from members in England since 2007.

Marriage on the rocks in England

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Marriage is under attack around the world. Here  are a few facts reflecting marriage and divorce trends in England. These stats are probably similar to those found in many developed nations. Did you know more people were married in the UK in 1862 than were married in 2011. 1862 was the first year records were kept of England’s marriage rates. in 1996, there were 1.6 million people between the ages of 45-62 living alone. By 2012, that number had increased to 2.4 million — an 800,000 increase. 

Christians have rights too, says English judge

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In a recent ruling, an English judge stated Christians in that country have rights too. Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson of the Court of Appeals was commenting on a case involving Susanne Wilkinson, a Christian, who owned a Bed and Breakfast in Cookham, Berkshire. In 2012, because of her Christian beliefs, Susanne had turned down a homosexual couple when they requested a room with a double bed. The gay couple took Susanne to court claiming they were discriminated against. Susanne lost and